You're not living in the rattled mass of chaos that is Iraq or Sudan or the Congo. You don't have to walk five miles a day with a jug on your head to fetch the water you need. And you're not so bereft of food that you have to resort to eating worms and tree bark. So how bad could your problems be?

One of the best things you might do to start fixing your life's small glitches is to feel waves of appreciation for how many resources you have and how lucky you are. Another good thing would be to aggressively take your worried attention off yourself and turn your mind toward people who could benefit from your help. As you carry out those assignments, your dilemmas may begin to look different to you.

I was ashamed.

Running water. Electricity. Toilets. Clothes. Shoes. Food. All the things I take for granted to such an extent that I don't even consider them when I count my blessings.

I saw a story on the news tonight about a Cub Scout pack up the road in Georgetown that raised money to send the Cub Scouts in West, Texas to scout camp this summer.

What have I done for anyone lately? I mean, outside of the requirements of my jobs. I can't think of anything. That's a sad commentary.